The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-04
WHAT \ MASTIFF DID.
A Remarkable Dog Story Which
Comes from a Truthful Source.

.
Comes from a Truthful Source.
Mr.. Harold Dollner, native of Den
mark, and for many years Consul General
of Denmark in New York city, says a
writer in the Christian Adtocdte, and a
! portion of the time acting Minister for that
kingdom, and well known to business men
as tbs head of the firm of Dollner, Potter &
Co., of New York, for many years resided
i'll Brooklyn in a mansion of the old style,
situated on Washington avenue, in the
midst Of what, for n city, are large
grounds. He always took great interest
in his flowers, trees and vegetables, and in
the heart of the city raised the very finest
pumpkins. He also kept two or three dogs
one a house dog, another of the spaniel
variety, and the third powerful mastiff.
| The mastiff was always chained near the
stable, and not far from the rear entrance
10 the premises.
In certain autumn the pumpkins which
were producued in Mr.. Dollner's garden
were of such extraordinary size and beuaty
that they excited the cupidity of a person
who stole two of the largest of them and
took them to the horticultural exhibition,
where he entered them as his own, and ac-
tually took the premium for them. This so
raised Mr. Dollner's Indignation that he in
structed his gardener to take off the largest
of those which remained and deposit them
in the cellar, lest they also should be stolen.
At the same time he told him to set the
mastiff loose, so that if anybody else came
in at night to steal the pumpkins the dog
would attack him. Pursuant to this order
the gardener worked all the afternoon TAX
ing off the finest of the pumpkins, which he
carried up one by one, pileing them near
the cellar door until he had finished, when
he conveyed them into the cellar. About
sunset he unclaimed the mastiff.
The dog had watched the performance of
the gardener, and during the night he
gnawed off the largest of the remaining
pumpkins and carried them one by one to
the cellar door, where he piled them up and
stood guard over them until the next morn
ing, when, as the cook arose and opened the
kitchen door with an expression of great
delight the animal wagged his tail, looked
up for appreciation, and went away The
next night he gnawed off everything from
the size of hazelnut upward and carried
them to the cellar door as before. A few
days afterward, when the person suspected
of having stolen the pumpkins, who had al
ways been friendly with him, entered, the
mastiff sprang upon him with the utmost
rage.
Mr.. Dollner was living when he wrote the
above. 1t was then sent to him with the
request that he would certify to its truth if
he could, or alter it till he could conscien-
death we received our last communication
from him:
''259 WASHINGTON AVENUE, BROOKLYN,
Z, IL, 1861 certify that the account given
by DR.. Buckley of my pumpkins and my
dog is true in every particular;
"HARoLD DoLLNER."
1t is plain that the mastiff had never seen
such an operation before. He therefore
must have comprehended it by an effort of
the mind, held it through the entire night,
worked upon it, contemplated it as a com
pleted act, and surrendered the pumpkins to
the family when they arose. Yet of course
he failed to comprehend the reason, or to
distinguish the value of the ripe from that
of the green pumpkins. He also obviously
connected the man who had in his sight
stolen the pumpkins with the deed.
At the time this was told to the writer
there were six witnesses living-the gar
dener, two servants in the house, and the
owner of the establishment, his wife, and
THAR son